


What's the meaning of time? (Aone's Tale)

by MariahLacey42



Series: In Over My Head Universe (Magical Pet Shop) [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Character Study, Gen, Immortality, Light Angst, Musing, Slice of Life, except its the life of an immortal tortoise, magic pet shop au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29360949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariahLacey42/pseuds/MariahLacey42
Summary: A look at what it means to be an immortal familiar and a telling of Aone's lived experiences
Relationships: Aone Takanobu & Futakuchi Kenji
Series: In Over My Head Universe (Magical Pet Shop) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2156751
Kudos: 4





	What's the meaning of time? (Aone's Tale)

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in the same universe as my fic, In Over My Head, though it can be read on its own. 
> 
> I've been on a huge Aone kick lately (Thanks to the folks in the Ghosts We See discord for that) so it's only fitting that the first IOMH vignette I write is about this lovely guy. It's pretty short, but I think I said all I want to say about his past and his mindset. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Aone couldn’t tell you exactly how old he was, though he isn’t the type to hold long conversations or make deep connections through banter anyway, so you’d be hard-pressed to get that answer out of him even if he knew. He is the type to sit and watch, and he has no clue how long he’s been around. 

He does know that he’s seen so many things that he wouldn’t know how to chronicle them if he could. He started life in the warm house of a tortoise breeder who had been working to research how Aone’s kind could live so long. Aone spent most of his time sticking by his mother, a creature of few words just like him, learning to speak from his older siblings, and resting by the comforting fire that was present in the wintertime or in the bright sunbeams that dappled in during the warmer months. 

It’s anyone’s guess how long he spent there, anyone else who could tell you is either long gone by now or will have forgotten many years ago. However, his life at t he small cottage came to an end when Aone’s first Witch came in. Something shifted deep beneath his shell as soon as this broad and scruffy man looked into his lazy yellow eyes. Some untenable connection reached through the charged air between them and pushed until their energy flowed freely. The larger man just laughed heartily and turned his eyes to the tortoise breeder with a shrug. 

Aone then lived with the witch, helping with various potions and spells by sending a bit of precious slack up the cord that tethered the two of them or listening to various stories from the man, both true tales from his past and fantastical tales picked from the tall bookshelf that sat in the dark study that Aone spent most of his days in. Aone wouldn’t have called his life with his first witch exciting by any stretch, but he was content in his humble life. He’s found over the years that he prefers a “boring” life where he can enjoy doing magic and keeping others’ company over the globetrotting exciting lifestyle. 

He finds this out the hard way when the passing of his first witch (at age 92) lead to Aone being cared for by the excentric nephew of his subdued and gentle previous partner. Aone is a firm believer that tortoises should never be forced to ride in carriages. Thankfully, he only had to put up with transportation until he ended up with a friend of the nephew who kept a variety of animals so that witches could find familiars. This life was a lot more varied from day to day. New companions came and went regularly, and Aone was exposed to all kinds of magical animals that he never could have imagined in either of his previous homes. 

Over the years, his menagerie home shifted to a pet shop. Though not without interruptions. Aone occasionally would peek into a witch’s eyes and feel the unmistakable tethering that a familiar bond brings. Then his life would change once again. He would stay in the study or the bedroom of his bonded witch, fall in love with his new lifestyle, and then all too soon, it would always come to an end. He would end up finding his way back to his home menagerie, usually with a different owner at this point, and returning to another simple lifestyle. Aone has spent many years doing this, ping-ponging between the simple life of a familiar and the chaotic but repetitive life of a shop animal, getting glimpses of others’ lives but ultimately keeping to himself. 

It has been a while since Aone has had a witch to connect with, for the past 100 years or so he’s been living with the Ukai family uninterrupted and watching over the pet store they manage. He’s seen many employees come and go, and so many of his companions and friends find homes that they went and lived in forever. As much as Aone loves his simple life in its current form, he occasionally feels a small tinge of jealousy at the fact that these other animals and people can have a concept of “forever”. Time doesn’t mean much to this tortoise that has heard secondhand of the rise and fall of countries. Sometimes, when the fluorescent lights are turned off and the only white noise is the snoring of the various small mammals in their cages, Aone wonders what it would be like to spend your entire life with one person, in one place. 

But he never dwells on it. Daily life still retains its strange appeal, and the hustle and bustle of store life keeps his mind occupied. The insistent and crafty gerbil in the cage next to him rattles off stories and gossip in his direction in a way that reminds Aone of his first witch, taking him back to dim nights in the study, hearing tales of faraway lands. Customers come in and say hello to him, to which he responds with a slight nod of his head. Sometimes, when there’s someone in on the magic, Futakuchi will decide to spin Aone’s whole life story to the person. Usually, this results in the passerby turning their gaze from the gerbil back to Aone and giving him a short sympathetic gaze before returning to their business. 

Aone never fully understands the pity he sees in the eyes of those customers. He may not be in this pet shop forever, but he’s never had issues putting down roots wherever and being comfortable there. Here he has plenty of people that talk to him, all the food and water he needs, a connection to the magical world, and the continuous slim chance that his next witch will come through the door. He’s happy where he is, with his mundane everyday life. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! The biggest issue I had with this fic was trying to not pin down the time frame for either Aone's birth or the first fic's setting. I want this series to remain mostly timeless and placeless, and a story all about the progression of time makes that a bit difficult. 
> 
> If you enjoyed it and you haven't read the other fic(s) in this Universe, maybe check them out. I have a lot more vignettes that I want to explore in this universe, and those should come out whenever I have the inspiration for them. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought and have a nice day!


End file.
